Festival Facts
| First held | October 1855 |
|---|---|
| When | Third Saturday of October |
| Where | Nott Granary green and the Nottatown Grange Hall |
| Record attendance | About 11,000 (1956) |
| Attendance today | About 400 to 600 |
| Organized by | Nottatown Festival Committee |
| Admission | Free (Harvest Supper plates $12) |
| Official sponsor | Nottatown Roofing |
Festival Traditions
Dawn
The Granary Blessing
The oldest resident knocks three times on the granary door and reads the names of the 1854 granary cats.
Town green
Filling the Great Saucer
Fresh milk is poured into the 1901 cast-iron Great Saucer on the town green.
Nott’s Mill Road
Parade of Barn Cats
Farm families carry their cats down Nott’s Mill Road in decorated baskets, wagons, and wheelbarrows.
Since 1926
The Mouser Laureate
The year’s best barn cat is crowned with a small woven straw crown. The first Mouser Laureate was crowned in 1926.
Noon
The Whisker Hymn
A short hymn written by Reverend Tuttle in 1856, sung at noon.
Since 1958
The Yarn Toss
Children throw balls of yarn at a hay-bale target shaped like a rat. The Yarn Toss was added in 1958.
Festival shrine
The Hay Bale Temple
A shrine built from about 200 hay bales, topped with a wooden cat carved in 1934.
Dusk
The Harvest Supper
Chicken and dumplings, sweet potato pie, and granary bread in the Grange Hall. Plates are $12.
Where the Name Comes From
The name “Cat Worship” first appeared in 1859, in a visiting preacher’s letter complaining about the custom. Nottatown adopted the name on purpose. Read the whole story on the Town History page.
Plan Your Visit
Volunteers direct parking on festival day. For the day’s schedule, see nottatownevents.com. For landmarks and directions, see Visiting Nottatown. Income from the festival pays for upkeep of the Nott Granary and the Grange Hall.